My Reflections;
MB Subba a journalist stated in Kuensel on September
28th reported that the growing population and the expansion of
Thimphu Thromde, coupled with increasing cost of transportation, have made
expansion and up gradation of city’s public transportation urgent. The capital
city’s public transport system has improved in terms of numbers of city buses.
However, insufficient capacity to meet ridership demand during peak hours and
inadequate routes shows that government’s efforts had failed to catch up with.
The rising traffic congestion due to growing number of vehicles is expected to
get worse without a drastic improvement in the public transport system too.
According to the housing census and population 2017, the population of Thimphu
reached 114,551 as of march 2017, and is estimated to increase by 4,200 people
annually. And the national statistics bureau projected that at least 30 percent
of the population will settle in the capital in 2047. And the total number of
vehicles reached 104,963 as of august this year, from 100,544 in 2018, which
means that the country imported 3,270 vehicles in the first half of 2019. About
30 percent of the vehicles are in Thimphu. With the city bus service being the
only mode of urban public transport, commuters are forced to use taxis and
private cars. And lack of proper pavements and footpath networks have resulted
in accessibility issues. These increasing number of vehicle not only creates
small space, increasing number of vehicles on the roads and the huge import of
fossil fuel to power them, are coming at a cost to our environment too.
Author even had conversation with Thimphu Thrompon Kinley Dorji about the increasing number of vehicle and its problems and the Thrompon and his team have resorted to the strict rule that is tenants in building without parking space have the choice to go to buildings where there are parking spaces or demand the landlord for space. And he says that the easiest thing to move out because every time they used to put a sticker for parking by the road side tenants have to pay Nu. 750 each. Other areas in Thimphu can expect similar measures. Thromde in with traffic police ensure that this rule is implemented. Thromde also ensure that building owners allocate parking spaces to its tenants. If it was failed it will result to cancelation of renewal of occupancy certificate that’s start disconnecting their utilities like electricity and water.
Unplanned growth, poor implementation of building rules and an uncontrolled increase in the number of vehicles its taking its toll in our country Bhutan and particularly to the capital city Thimphu. As per the Kuensel report 2019 28th September it’s said that as of august this year there are 54,661 vehicles in Thimphu and only about 2,479 designated parking slots in the main Thromde area. Journalist Choki Wangmo had stated that lack of parking space is driving both law enforcers and vehicle owners crazy. And I too agree her points. Without parking space provided, residents park along the roads making the already congested roads narrower. Due to the increasing numbers of vehicle is making the already small space smaller, and building owners violating building rules is attributed to the congestions of the city roads. As author says I too think that the Thromde’s building regulations requires enough parking space is identified as one of the major problems in the capital city of our country Thimphu. Unless there are stringent measures the Thromde will be losing a losing battle with banks giving cheap vehicle and government policies on mass transport still missing.
I should say
that Bhutan transport system is in disarray and needs immediate fixing too. Our
country’s development experience has been maddeningly swift along of reasons
impelled upon as a late starter on the road transport system, especially in
growing urban Bhutan, would pose a serious problem in the coming days. I think
that future time of our early awakening is now is now come and we are left to
face our worst nightmares. Some of hope I have seen, all too often there have
been talks and debates, every once in a while, about the need to address this
growing problem, but somehow people and leaders could not put our mind to it.
They have, finally, a national transport policy, but this documents has been
gathering dust somewhere. The dream of providing people safe, reliable,
affordable, convenient, cost effective and environmentally friendly transport
system, in support of socioeconomic development of the country pulled straight
out of the policy is becoming more elusive by the day. That’s why this rising
issue of vehicle have been serious problem in Bhutan especially capital city
From the news article I came to know that the
Thimphu is perhaps the worst example of our failure to deal with growing
problem which is threatening to become unmanageable. In many ways, it’s already
gone out of our hands. The problem of congestion has reached the peak, not
forgetting the growing emission problem today. As per the news reported the
country, going by the latest record has 104,963 vehicle. And 30 percent in
Thimphu. More vehicles lead to more accidents. This year, as of august, there
were 31,978 motor vehicle accidents. The number is alarming. Vehicle accidents
have claimed at least eight people every months. [This is going by records
maintained by the traffic division of the Royal Bhutan Police] as of august 31
the RBP recorded 978 accidents across the country injuring 541 people and
killing 65. And on top of that Thimphu alone, the traffic registered 326 motor
vehicle accidents, 132 injuries and three deaths.
I came to now that RBP too was working to reduce
congestion in Thimphu and overcome the vehicle accident problems. In the news
repot police also pointed out the lack of footpath or continuing of it thereby
risking the safety of pedestrians.
After all I came to know that as a capital city of a nation more number of vehicles are registered in Thimphu region. The national transport strategy stated that Thimphu alone will account over 30 percent of urban population base. To accommodate this population, it will trigger development need of additional need 50-60 km of road network above the current network of 250 km. Tshering Dorji a Kuensel journalist also reported on Saturday, September 28, 2019 the growing number of vehicle is a concern, not only from traffic and infrastructure need but also on the trade balance too about 20 new vehicles on an average are imported into the country every day since 2015. The import of vehicle has led to the foreign currency outflow of at least nu 6 billion every year since 2015 after the ban on import were lifted. Consequently, the import of fuel is offsetting the hydropower earning.
Rising in number of vehicles gives negative impact
on society rather than positive. Though it safes our time by travelling in our
own vehicles and taxis too leads drastically rise in number of vehicle in our
country some of the points that I’m going to conclude from this piece of writing
will be due to rise in number of vehicle it creates less space- in order to
solve this government and Thromde of Thimphu are working on with it they even
suggested owner of buildings to allocate parking space for the tenants. And
another one is due to the increases in number of vehicle it gives pollution to
environment- burning a liter of diesel produce about 2.6 kg of CO2. Annually on
average a passenger vehicle burns 1,000L of diesels releasing about 2,600 kg of
CO2 into the atmosphere. So there is need of policy to reduce pollution to
environment. Without a policy intervention, the report stated that severe air
problem issues would rise in the country. Reason of size in vehicle number in
Thimphu leads to more accidents- as superintendent of police, traffic division,
Lt. Col. Namgay said the high vehicle density in Thimphu and increasing traffic
congestion is making the city vulnerable to accident.
All in all solution for this issue is to reduce
importing vehicles into the country. As a country’s citizens we have to take
responsibility to safe our environment and nation as a whole by reduce number
of vehicle importing in could safe life of people and create clean and open
space for the society. I should say that it’s not necessary to own each car for
each citizens so public transportation should come in to action seriously by
that we could reduce number of vehicle and traffic congestion. Aimed at”
providing the entire population with a safe, reliable, affordable, convenient,
cost effective and environmental friendly transport system in support of
strategies for socioeconomic development” the MoIC has drafted national
transport policy 2017 so our government is working in the plane to create more
free space for the society and try to reduce importing vehicle in country by
issuing some strict rules for the drivers and the owner of the buildings.
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